(A/N): I apologize for the long wait! I haven't forgotten about this story. I simply hit a major writer's block, and I think I've finally begun to work my way around it. Hope you enjoy the latest chapter!

Edit: Also, I kinda like the idea of Tidus x LeBlanc. For this continuity, at least. I can probably do something with this...

Chapter 16: Yearning

"The mind can calculate, but the spirit yearns, and the heart wants what the heart wants."

― Stephen King

She wanted to pretend she never saw Paine's caller ID, but she couldn't do it. She wanted to hate her for ruining the moment, but she couldn't blame her when she feels so guilty for going behind her back. Downstairs alone in Baralai's living room, Yuna paces back and forth, chewing the tip of her fingernail in distress. Sooner or later, their friends will figure out and there will be no running away from her feelings then. 'Can I really delay the inevitable?'

She stops to sigh, and redials her number, holding the phone to her ear. Once she hears the line connect, Yuna tries her best to sound calm despite the anxiety bubbling underneath. "Hi, Paine. You called?"

"Yeah. You got a minute? I wanted to talk to you in person, but you weren't at home. Whatever. This works, too."

"Okay…" She becomes nervous, because whenever Paine wanted to talk about something in person, it always turned out to be serious. She clears her throat, gathering her composure. "That is, sure. What's on your mind?"

"Yuna, you've got to stop pining after Baralai like this."

She blushes, embarrassed. Paine came off so blunt, it caught her off guard.

"I-I'm not pining. It's true that I like him, but... am I not allowed to spend time with him, too?"

"God, you are starting to sound like him. It's getting kinda freaky."

"Paine. I appreciate what you're trying to do. You want to protect me, and I'm grateful, but I can take care of myself." Yuna tries to sound confident and assertive, hoping that her dear friend won't interpret it as anything else like hostility. Although she wants to believe her belligerence comes from her overprotective nature, a part of her also suspects Paine may actually be jealous and chooses to deny it.

"Yuna, you have no idea what he's truly like. He gets violent when he's angry–."

"I know."

"He bosses people around and believes he's always right–."

"Isn't that because he graduated from University? I think the confidence he places in his intelligence is justified–."

"Wait, wait– he told you that?"

Yuna blushes again, giddy at the mere mention of it. "Yeah. Plus, he knows when to step down and say he's wrong–."

"Look, I don't know how close you two are and I don't want to know, but it's only going to get worse from here. Yuna, if you keep kissing up to him, he'll get attached and then he will become possessive. You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

Yuna bites the inside of her cheek, reining in her anger. The more she keeps criticizing him, the more she can't stand it; regardless of his flaws, she believes his positive traits outnumber them by the tenfold. Although tempted to rise up to his defense, she decides to hit straight for the heart of the matter. "Paine, I'm sorry I have to say this, but I'm starting to receive the impression you don't want us to be together. Whenever any girl tries to get close to him, you always drive them away. Are you sure you're not just in love with him, too?"

This causes Paine to falter. "What? No–."

"Paine, I don't think you're being honest with yourself."

"Don't lecture me," she says in a cutting tone, stopping Yuna short. "I know exactly how I feel about him. Excuse me if I'm not like you two, all super nice and sugary sweet, but Baralai needs someone like me who knows how to deal with his bullshit–."

"But Paine, why are you making him out to be some kind of hopeless case?" She pushes through, appalled by her cold remarks. "He doesn't need someone to deal with him; he just wants someone who can understand him."

"What do you know? You've only known him for six months. I've been one of his best friends for over two years."

She bites her lip, frustrated. Just because she has known him for far less doesn't mean anything. Sure, they might not have been close in the beginning, like the way Gippal loves teasing him and Baralai lets him, while Paine's always there to challenge him wit for wit, but they've become much closer since then. Her feelings for him are strong and true and no less different from Paine's, only deepening with time, maybe becoming something too indescribable for mere words to define– and Yuna snaps.

"I love him!"

Dead silence, and then disbelief.

"...you can't be serious."

Yuna breathes, drawing strength from her confession. It liberates her to say those words after so long, bottling it all up inside, only to lack the courage to admit her feelings, denying her friends' constant teasing, watching Baralai from afar with anguish and yearning, still wrought with guilt over her relationship Tidus. But now she wants to own up to it, lay it bare for all to see, because she can't find any reason to hold back anymore.

"Yes, that's right. I love Baralai. Can you honestly say the same? I'm the one who makes him feel wanted. I'm the one he wants to spend time with. Why? Because you don't give him the respect he deserves. And all you two ever do is argue with each other."

"Yuna, look–."

"Please, don't talk about him like that anymore. It really makes me upset."

"Okay! Damn, I get it. No need to preach it. You've made your point obvious enough."

"...I'm sorry, Paine, for snapping at you like that. I meant every word, but..." Yuna sighs, remorseful. "I hate raising my voice at you."

"Tch. I'd be more upset if you didn't mean it. Yuna. I get that you want him, but I still don't think it's a good idea."

Baralai washes his hands at the sink, sighing with exhaustion. Once clean, he fastens the last button of his jeans and proceeds to slip on his half-wrinkled shirt, tossing it in the hamper right afterwards when he becomes self-conscious of the way it looks on him. His body tingles from the afterglow, lamenting the sweet, lingering warmth of her touch. He leans over the cold, marble sink, his hands tight on the edge while he fights to control the red blush on his cheeks. He knows that if he thinks about her for too long, his thoughts will scatter, riling his emotions.

'Can I honestly deny it at this point? I want her. I want her smile and her hands… her lips… everything about her…' He opens his eyes now, overcome with emotion, his eyelids growing heavy at the pull of his pounding heartbeat. 'She feels so amazing and warm, I want her to belong to me.' Fantasizing upon her image again, Baralai forces the faucet to run, splashing his face with cold water, before exiting his bathroom, fetching a new shirt from his drawer and forcing himself to compose. Once satisfied by his presentable appearance, he heads downstairs in search of her.

Following her voice to the living room, he pauses at the base of the stairs, watching her engage in heated conversation with the person on the other line. She has her back turned to him, oblivious to his presence, and he steps down to lean against the side wall, crossing his arms, wanting to admire her from afar.

Yuna stands tense unlike the way he had been imagining her earlier, compliant and soft against his own body. Her legs look so nice and smooth in the receding white sunlight, reminding him of the way they molded to his firm grip as he held her close, burrowing his hand into her soft, silky tresses to pull her head back, smoothing the tension in her neck with his wandering lips. The point of his release came so soon, and he sighs. Now seeing her in reality, standing so far while unaware of his gaze on her, she feels so tantalizing, teasing him with the desire to close the distance between them.

Languid and in yearning, Baralai moves forward.

"Why? I don't... understand..." Yuna falters, frustrated, but manages to scavenge the courage to press on. "I mean, I'm sure you have your reasons, but I still don't think it's fair of you to criticize my decisions when our experiences with him are not the same."

"You're not wrong about that, but..." Paine sighs, taking a moment to gather her wits. "I'm just worried that you only fell for him, because you kept comparing him to Tidus. Guys like him are normal; Baralai's the one who's weird. Think about how your boyfriend felt at the time when you kept glorifying another man in his face. I know he ain't perfect, but cut Tidus some slack. He's a teenager, what do you expect? Give him a little more time to mature, and maybe you two will be perfect for each other after all."

She gulps, guilt weighing thick on her throat. "I know, and I've told myself that many times, but I must be honest with myself. I–." Before she can finish that last sentence, a pair of arms slip around her waist from behind, causing her to squeal and jump in surprise. "Baralai! What are you–."

"That felt nice." He chuckles, squeezing her close. "Thank you for taking care of me."

"Who is that? Don't tell me– You're still with Baralai? Of fucking course."

Yuna panics, wracked with guilt. "Wait, Paine, let me explain–."

"I don't care anymore. Have fun fucking each other."

Click. Dead silence.

Retracting her phone to stare at the large, blinking numbers, Yuna sighs in dismay.

Baralai pulls away, moving to face her in concern. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's nothing. Just… bad timing."

"Was that Paine? I apologize."

"Yeah. She, um, wanted to talk to me about something important and, uh, w-was wondering if I was home… That's all."

"Hm, I see." He seems unconvinced, but chooses not to pursue the issue. In the awkward silence that follows, he perceives the conflicted emotions on her face by the furrow of her brow, the tight purse of her lips, and frowns, feeling compelled to reach out and comfort her; which he does, stroking her cheek, startling them both, and that causes him to retract his hand.

He averts his gaze, embarrassed that he had acted without thinking. "I'm sorry. You looked upset, and I…"

Touched by his concern, she lifts his hand back up to her cheek and smiles. "Thank you."

This encourages him to smile also, and he dares to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, enraptured by her wavering eyes. She feels so soft and warm, so fragile and small, that he takes a step forward, pulling her into his arms and muffling her noise of surprise. His heartbeat quickens faster than his thoughts can keep up, and he breaks his solemn demeanor with a quiet chuckle. "...don't know what came over me."

Yuna freezes in place, smothered by his timid affection, and relaxes, breathing in his scent, struggling to hold her thoughts together. He smells of sweet musk and slight sweat, the fading residue of body oil, and her eyelids droop shut, intoxicated by his body heat. She stands within the perfect moment to confess her feelings, and yet…

"I don't care anymore. Have fun fucking each other."

"It's all your fault! You're the reason Yuna broke up with me!"

There still remains the tense air she must clear with Paine; the fleeting, old remnants of her feelings for Tidus she must put to rest. For those reasons, Yuna must let the moment slip away. She pulls back a little, reluctant to look him in the eye.

Her movement snaps him out of his trance, and he panics. "Oh, I'm sorry. Is it okay for me to hold you like this?"

Yuna smiles in spite of herself, dropping her hands from his sides. "Of course it's okay."

Baralai smiles, relieved, and releases her, reluctant to let go. "What time are you expected home? Would you like me to take you back later?"

"Oh, a-actually, I do have to get going. It's already getting kind of dark..."

"Hm, might as well," he says with a sigh, looking away. "This will be embarrassing to admit, but... I discovered I do not have any adequate birth control at the moment, so we won't be able to do it today. I'm sorry to disappoint, especially after all that anticipation we built up."

"Oh..." In her turmoil to hide her feelings, Yuna had actually forgotten about that. Vindicated by her earlier clumsy attempts to seduce him, she fumbles in her response. "Th-That's okay! Really... I can't be angry when you're already so thoughtful about it..."

"From now on, though, if you still, perhaps, wish to..." Baralai clears his throat, self-conscious. "That is, want to, erm, c-consummate our relationship... I will wait for you to initiate it. You never have to worry about me pressuring you."

"Really?" She blushes, delighted that he at least acknowledges her feelings.

"On the condition," Baralai says, in a tone that brooked no room for argument. "We discuss where we want to stand with each other first. Our thoughts and feelings, and our expectations as well. That is why I propose we go out on a date this Saturday to discuss everything."

Yuna grins, appreciating his resolve. That will definitely give her enough time to sort things out. "Okay. What time?"

"I was thinking we can have breakfast together around 9 or 10 o'clock. You can pick the place. Or we can have lunch instead, if you prefer."

"No, morning sounds good." She blushes, bashful, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "I like the idea of starting our day together."

He smiles. "Me, too." In the flicker of his eyes and his soft smile, he debates within himself, leaning back against the armrest of his couch to sigh, before reaching out for her hand, twining his fingers in hers. She blushes in response, ducking her head, which encourages him to act upon a rather intimate thought. Baralai sighs, gathering the courage while staring at their clasped hands. "Still... I wish you didn't have to leave like this. At the very least, I was hoping to take care of you before you left. I don't think it would be fair otherwise."

"Take care of me? What, like a massage?"

"We can start with that, but I was actually referring to something else."

Yuna blinks up at him, confused, growing nervous when he does not elaborate.

Baralai stares at her in disbelief. "...You really don't know what I'm talking about, do you?"

"Sh-Should I?"

"No, this is fine," he says, his eyes sparkling with laughter. "You're fine just the way you are."

She pouts, annoyed by his secrecy. "Why do I get the feeling you're mocking me?"

He smiles, amused. "Because you're imagining things."

She giggles. "Oh, you."

"What about me?"

"Nothing."

They exchange knowing looks and flirtatious banter, consumed by idle laughter, until Yuna recovers first, breathing out a wistful sigh. She gives his hand a soft squeeze, reluctant to voice her innermost wish for fear of sounding selfish and clingy. "I wish I could stay longer..."

"You sound so disappointed," Baralai says, amused. "Well, that would make two of us, so I feel a little better."

She ducks her head, bashful. "...so you'd hate to see me leave?"

"Of course. I enjoy spending time with you."

His fond, sincere words inflate her heart with warmth, and she leans on him to hide her red face in the hollow of his neck. Why does he make her feel so happy, so hopeless in love? His kindness, his shy affection, it slices her heart wide open for more love to pour through, drowning her further in him. She holds him tight to steady her weak knees, only to feel his hands lock around the small of her back, cradling her in his gentle embrace.

"You're too close..."

"Perhaps I want to be this close."

"Please, stop. It only makes me want you more..."

He pulls her back in when she tries to pull away, amused by her attempts to flee. "...What would you say if I confessed I felt the same? I can't stop thinking about you and it's all your fault." Fondness glows in his gaze, dazzling her despite his soft-spoken complaint.

Yuna ducks her head, pursing her lips, the urge to reciprocate his words too great.

"Then... I'm happy... because I can't stop thinking about you, either. Not since the day I first met you." Torn by the memory, she smiles, ashamed. "Even though I was with someone else at the time, I couldn't stop thinking about how I wished Tidus would understand me the way you do. That's my deepest, darkest secret, and now you know." She confesses to her feelings without having to say the words, the farthest her courage has ever allowed her to go, and she keeps her head down, afraid of facing his reaction. "I-I told myself that I would wait, but... My feelings just came bursting out of me all of a sudden! And I didn't know what to do, because I was so afraid of missing my chance. 'What if you died tomorrow? What if you died without ever knowing how I felt? If I had confessed to you sooner, would that have made all the difference?' I didn't want to wind up trapped in regret, and I wasn't sure... how to tell you..."

The rest of her words die on her tongue, and she tears up, overwhelmed by the flood of emotions constricting her throat. She blinks, sniffling, sensing her tears fall, and then she feels him move, standing straight to hug her properly. His arms are so kind and strong, just like his hands on her back, tracing small circles on her spine. His voice in her ear, his hand in her hair, his lips, his touch, everything about him suddenly steadies her, and she exhales, feeling her heart race.

"Shh... it's okay, I'm right here."

Tidus flops over on his back, out of breath, disregarding the girl who collapses by his side with a smug smile. Clutching the bed sheet closer to him, he expects to pass out at any minute until LeBlanc's voice brings him back into orbit.

"How are you holding up there, Champ?"

"Great. Give me... a second..."

She smirks, tossing the blanket aside with a flourish so she can straddle him naked. "Ooh, a second round? How gracious of you."

"Damn, woman. Calm your tits. I need to recharge first. Geez..."

"You know, I have to say," she says, stroking his chest with the tip of her finger. "I've had better, but you by far make the most arousing noises."

"Uh, thanks?" He blushes, embarrassed. "They didn't sound wimpy, did they?"

"Nope. You whine and whimper a lot, which only goes to show I was doing something right." She giggles, poking his nose, before descending to relax on top of him, her cheek propped on the palm of her hand as she traces the square lines of his jaw, her eyes fixated on his lips.

His eyelids drift shut, lulled by her lingering touch. She feels all nice and warm tangled up around his body that he grins, unable to contain the heat pouring into his chest. He enjoys her fun and open personality, especially when it comes to partying and sex; she understands his wants and needs like a true bro, but instead of being a guy, she comes in the form of a smoking, hot chick. Maybe not the first person he'd go to wanting a romantic relationship with, but there's never a boring moment with her. She never holds back, always speaking up her mind; he loves that, and wishes more girls could be like that, so self-assured and full of confidence.

"Hmm, I wonder, though... what kind of delectable noises would he make? Is he a screamer or a moaner? Or a mix of both?"

At the mere mention of him, he feels his mood deteriorating and shrugs. "I don't know. If anything, you'll figure it out this Saturday."

"Speaking of Saturday, do you think he'll really come? Letting loose and getting crazy doesn't seem like his type of thing."

"Trust me, all I need to do is convince Yuna to come, and he'll be there. Trust me, they can't leave each other alone for five damn minutes." Tidus scowls, folding his hands behind his head. He never considered himself to be one of those jealous types – he can be resentful sometimes – competitive, definitely – but jealous? Over a quiet, boring guy who's more in love with books than chicks and has a major stick up his ass? Just no.

"Yuna, hm?" Her voice brings him back into focus, anchoring his attention with that name alone. "What drives you so crazy about her, hmm...? Oh, don't give me that look." LeBlanc pouts, pressing a fingertip to his lips to cut him short. "You said her name when you came. I want to know the story."

"Well..." Tidus trails off, not sure if he wanted to confide in her or not.

He had been trying not to think about it lately, considering how every time he tries to hint at getting back together with her she always manages to find a reason to turn him down. It's obvious to everyone and their mothers that Yuna still has some lingering, strong feelings for him, so why's she so stubborn to deny it? He feels like all the time and history they shared had gone to waste, when it resulted in their break up regardless. "I guess you can say we've known each other since we were kids. Our dads are best friends, and we used to play together a lot whenever they hung out."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. But... Once we entered high school, we started hanging out with different people and getting into different things. We didn't share a lot of the same classes, either, because she's so smart and I'm, you know, not very book smart. I don't know. We were growing distant, until out of nowhere we started dating, and that was amazing, but now, you know..." He flounders, unable to bring himself to accept the fact– that they might just be history.

"I heard it was a big deal. Yuna broke up with you, right? Did she fall for somebody else or something?"

"Beats me." He shrugs, trying to play off his insecurity as nonchalance. "But of all the guys, though: Baralai? Seriously? That annoying, know-it-all prick... He acts so damn perfect, it really pisses me off."

"Is that jealousy I hear?" LeBlanc chuckles, amused. "All those things you said about them, are they really true? Well, I'm beginning to believe you only want to ruin him. You're in luck. Once I'm through with him, he'll finally learn what he's been missing out on. You should trick Yuna into walking in on us. She worships the guy, right? What better way to destroy them than to shatter his perfect image right in front of her?"

"Huh. That's actually... pretty good. I like it." He pauses, sensing the beginnings of guilt prickling his chest. "...Er, you don't think Yuna's gonna hate me for this, do you?"

"Not unless she figures it out. You worry too much, love. After all, all's fair in love and war."

Edited as of Wednesday, April 13, 2016.